May Wrap Up 2017

May was a pretty good month in terms of reading and I am happy that I read more books than last month. And not just the quantity but also the quality that went up.

So here are the books I read this month –

On A Small Islandby Grant Nicol

On A Small Island follows Ylfa as she tries to solve the mystery of her missing sister and the brutal murder that’s far too close to home. When the police don’t take things seriously enough, Ylfa takes things into her own hands and ends up unearthing far more devastating dark secret which will change everything.

This novel has the best 1st person POV I have ever read. And it’s at its height in the last chapter when everything is tied up together. The plot is intriguing and haunting. It also makes you understand that people are what they are because of their circumstances. This is also the reason why I liked the antagonist, he is not a bad guy, he is made into one.

Deep Down Dead by Steph Broadribb

Deep Down Dead follows Lori Anderson, a tough bounty hunter, who along with her nine year old daughter Dakota, has to pick up JT, Lori’s former mentor now turned fugitive, back to court. Not only is JT fighting a child exploitation racket operating out of one of Florida’s biggest theme parks, Winter Wonderland, a place where ‘bad things never happen’, but he’s also mixed up with the powerful Miami Mob. And then things become personal.

The best part of this novel is the characters. Lori, JT and Dakota kept me glued to the book, wanted to know more. Lori is one of the best badass female characters I have read in a long time. She has the perfect mix of skills, strength and femininity. The plot, though a good one, was sometimes predictable and I also found the pace slow down after the midpoint.

How To Be A Bawse by Lilly Singh

From actress, comedian, and YouTube sensation Lilly Singh (aka ||Superwoman||) comes the definitive guide to being a bawse—a person who exudes confidence, reaches goals, gets hurt efficiently, and smiles genuinely because they’ve fought through it all and made it out the other side. Told in her hilarious, bold voice that’s inspired over nine million fans, and using stories from her own life to illustrate her message, Lilly proves that there are no shortcuts to success.

This was one of the most insightful books I have read this year. The quick chapters in this book are not only funny but also shows that working for your dreams and your happiness is all worth the pain. It makes you believe that you can do and achieve anything you want. All you have to do is master your mind, hustle harder, make heads turn, and be a unicorn.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The Book Thief follows Liesel, a nine year old girl, living with her foster family on Himmel Street, and of the other inhabitants when the world is all intertwined in the Second World War.

The story is not something we don’t know already. But it is the presentation that makes this book unique. The story is painful and depressing. It’s not for the faint hearted. But still it is worth a read. Also, this book is a character driven plot, the plot all revolves around the characters, what they do and how they react. But the major UPS of this book and what takes the cake is Death as the narrator. Never would I have thought that a book can be read from the POV of Death.

One To Watch by Rachel Amphlett

One to Watch follows Detective Kay Hunter as she is solving the brutal murder of the sixteen year old Sophie Whittaker. What Kay doesn’t know yet is that the case is way more complicated than the simple murder and will find out that some people can go way low in greed and corruption. Also as a obstacle stands Kay’s past which will lead to discoveries, making it hard for her to trust others.

This book was a breeze. With the case getting more complicated every time a discovery is made, the plot thickens. Our protagonist, Detective Kay Hunter is three-dimensional and feels completely real. As a reader, I was completed invested in the story. This is the perfect example of a crime novel – complex plot, good pace, secretive characters with enough motive to murder, a constant threat to our protagonist, twists in each chapters and an ending that come out of no where.

So these are all the books I read this month. What did you read this month? Do let me know.